<p>A section of seers has come out in support of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. <br /><br />While heads of the Lingayat sect warned that the ruling BJP would lose ground among the community if Yeddyurappa was ousted as chief minister, Pejawar Mutt seer Visveshateertha insisted that “nobody should be punished unless he is proved guilty”.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa is a Lingayat, a dominant community in the State. A few Lingayat seers, including Prasannarenuka Veerasomeshwara Rajadeshikendra of the Rambhapuri Mutt in Balehonnur, insisted that the sacking of Yeddyurappa would prove “detrimental” to the BJP. They said efforts to oust him was an “assault” on Lingayat community.<br /><br />Addressing the media, the Rambhapuri mutt seer said Yeddyurappa had been “serving the people with many pro-development programmes”. Any move to oust him would prove costly for the BJP, which is to face zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections, he said.<br /><br /> He said the Chief Minister should be given a chance to rectify his mistakes, if he has committed any.<br /><br />Seers Jnanaprabhu Siddarama and Dayananda of Basava Dharma Peetha at a press conference in Bangalore said Lingayat chief ministers were never allowed to function unhindered and cited the examples of J H Patel and Veerendra Patil. <br /><br />Dayananda said the BJP central leaderhip should understand that sacking Yeddyurappa would have “statewide ramifications”. People in certain parts had already begun agitating against the BJP central leadership.<br /><br />Visveshateertha said Yeddyurappa should be given a chance to defend himself. The party leadership should address the crisis following the principles of democracy. “No person should be punished unless he is proved guilty,” he said.<br /><br />He denied that he met BJP leader L K Advani and persuaded him against Yeddyurappa’s ouster. “I had been to Delhi. But I did not meet Advani, nor did I discuss with any BJP leader the recent political developments,” he said.</p>
<p>A section of seers has come out in support of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. <br /><br />While heads of the Lingayat sect warned that the ruling BJP would lose ground among the community if Yeddyurappa was ousted as chief minister, Pejawar Mutt seer Visveshateertha insisted that “nobody should be punished unless he is proved guilty”.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa is a Lingayat, a dominant community in the State. A few Lingayat seers, including Prasannarenuka Veerasomeshwara Rajadeshikendra of the Rambhapuri Mutt in Balehonnur, insisted that the sacking of Yeddyurappa would prove “detrimental” to the BJP. They said efforts to oust him was an “assault” on Lingayat community.<br /><br />Addressing the media, the Rambhapuri mutt seer said Yeddyurappa had been “serving the people with many pro-development programmes”. Any move to oust him would prove costly for the BJP, which is to face zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections, he said.<br /><br /> He said the Chief Minister should be given a chance to rectify his mistakes, if he has committed any.<br /><br />Seers Jnanaprabhu Siddarama and Dayananda of Basava Dharma Peetha at a press conference in Bangalore said Lingayat chief ministers were never allowed to function unhindered and cited the examples of J H Patel and Veerendra Patil. <br /><br />Dayananda said the BJP central leaderhip should understand that sacking Yeddyurappa would have “statewide ramifications”. People in certain parts had already begun agitating against the BJP central leadership.<br /><br />Visveshateertha said Yeddyurappa should be given a chance to defend himself. The party leadership should address the crisis following the principles of democracy. “No person should be punished unless he is proved guilty,” he said.<br /><br />He denied that he met BJP leader L K Advani and persuaded him against Yeddyurappa’s ouster. “I had been to Delhi. But I did not meet Advani, nor did I discuss with any BJP leader the recent political developments,” he said.</p>
